A kiss
by whatthehell82
Summary: A Janny story. I throw in a few kisses into episodes 10 and on.
1. Person of interest

_AN: This is just a small chapter to start it off. I am going on vacation and I will be starting the next chapter when I get back. Review if you have nice things to say only. _

"Miss Masterson tell us about your relationship with Danny Desai." That isn't something Jo thinks she can really do. She will try for Danny's sake, because even though she is hurt and angry she can't turn her back on him. At least not for long. "Well it's complicated. But I know he's a good person." She has questioned that a few times, but in her heart she knows it's true. "Okay, can you elaborate on that?" "I can't…I just know it. We have been through a lot since he got back. It's not been easy." She has tried so hard to trust him and he lied to her. It's not going to be easy to fix that. "What do you mean it hasn't been easy?" All the lies. She thinks to herself. "To believe in him. To trust him. But in the end I can't turn away from him." She had tried, but something about him just keeps bringing her back to him. "Why Jo? Explain to us why you can't turn away from him." She doesn't really know herself. She is not sure how she will explain it to them when she can't even explain it to herself. "I wish I could. It would be a lot easier for me if I could move on from him. To let him go. But he's just the most amazing person. For the first time I feel like… When I'm with him I just feel so… How can he be this bad person if I'm falling…" Jo stops once she realizes what she almost admitted. The blonde girl is doing everything she can to keep the tears at bay. "Thank you so much Jo. You may sit down." The president of the school board is kind enough to let her walkaway before she said anything more to embarrass herself. Jo slowly walks back to her seat. She keeps her eyes on the floor. She can't look at Danny right now. She doesn't even want to think about what he must be thinking right now. There is no doubt what she was about to say. Jo takes her seat and tries to concentrate on the rest of the hearing.

After the hearing let out Jo rushes out of the room before anyone can stop her. There are a few things she needs before heading to the diner to meet Rico, so she heads over to her locker. As she is closes her locker Danny walks up. "Hey." He says. "Hey. So when do you hear?" Jo asks. "It could be any minute, any hour. It depends on how long it takes them to recover from my Mother calling Regina Crane a whore." Danny smirks a little bit. "Yeah, that probably won't go in the plus column." They both hope the board will be able to look past that. "Probably not. Jo about what you said…" That is the last thing Jo wants to talk about. "We don't have to talk about that. I was just… I just really wanted to help. I mean after all that crap with Archie and Gloria I was pretty revved up." Jo tries to make excuses, but they both know what she was about to say in there, and that she never intended it to come out. "Well, um thank you. Jo what we have. Our relationship, it's very special and I don't know what I would do without it. Okay?" Jo nods a little and looks again like she is fighting back tears. Suddenly Danny leans in and places a soft little kiss on Jo's lips. When he pulls back they are both confused. Jo pulls herself together a little bit. "Text when you hear, okay?" She is choosing to ignore it figuring it was some kind of pity kiss. "I will." Danny's says before he walks away. He doesn't know why he kissed her. There was just something that compelled him to do it. Just looking at her disappointed face broke his heart. He wanted to do something to fix it. That probably was the wrong thing, but he didn't think he just acted.


	2. Out with the in crowd

**An: I didn't change episode 11 for a reason. I know it's a painful episode for Janny shippers, but it's important to the story. But if you look real close you will see some Janny. **

Rico and Jo are sitting in their booth studying and talking. Jo is relieved when she hears her phone go off. She has been waiting to hear from Danny about what the school board had decided. "It must be Danny." She tells Rico. She checks her message. But instead of a message from Danny she sees a video from an unknown number. When she opens the video to her horror she sees the boy she has a crush on and her former best friend. The poor girl feels like someone knocked the wind out of her. Rico is talking to her, but she can't hear him. It all just came rushing at her all at once. She feels like she is going to be sick, and needs to get out of there. Ignoring Rico she jumps up out of their booth and rushes out of the dinner.

Jo didn't sleep very much that night. She is lying awake when her alarm goes off. Her body doesn't move other than reaching to turn off the alarm. Usually she would get up and get ready for school, but today she stays right where she is. After a while her Mother comes and checks on her. "Aren't you getting up? You're going to be late." She turns her head to look at her Mother. "I'm not going." Normally Tess would not take that for an answer, but yesterday her daughter came home in tears. She had told her about the horrible video she had seen. Tess knows how much Jo cares for Danny and how much she is hurting. She decides to let her daughter play hooky for the day.

Jo spent most of the day in bed. Her father made a failed attempt at getting her up. She wasn't going to leave her room until she was good and ready. That afternoon her Mother let her know she has a visitor. Jo was relieved to find it is Rico. She had been ignoring calls and texts from Danny all night and she was afraid he might show up to talk to her in person. The poor girl feels a little bit better after talking to her best friend. She even went to get something to eat.

While Jo is in the kitchen she hears the doorbell. "Rico can you get that?" She calls. Rico walks over to the door and opens it. He is only slightly surprised to see Danny and Lacey standing on the other side of the door. "Hey, Rico. Is Jo here?" Danny asks. Rico could tell Danny was disappointed that he wasn't Jo. "Yeah, but I don't know if she wants to see you guys." Rico knows that Jo's emotional wound is still raw. "What's going on?" Rico turns to see Jo walking up behind him. Danny pushes past Rico and walks into the house. "Jo, listen…" Lacey follows him in. "Please let us explain." Lacey says. "What's there to explain?" Jo is not ready for this confrontation. The pain is still too fresh. Seeing them in person is just inflaming her anger. Tess comes down the stairs to find the group of teenagers in a very tense situation. "Lacey, Danny. Hey. Danny I'm so sorry about the expulsion. I spoke to your Mother last night. She was just…" "Thank you Mrs. Masterson. Ah, I'll be okay. We'll get through it." He says trying to be polite, but he really wants to talk to Jo. "I'm sure you will. I'm Lacey will help you be okay." Jo says very bitter and angrily. "Jo." Tess tries to step into what could be a volatile situation. "Danny and I we're over, okay? The video is from before." Lacey tries to explain. Jo sees the hurt look that quickly passes over Danny's face. "Do you really think that matters? You are such a hypocrite, Lacey. You condemn Danny for lying when you are off doing the same thing." Jo's temper is starting to hit it's boiling point. Danny steps in between the two girls. "Please. Don't…don't blame Lacey. It's on me. I should have been the one to tell you. You have been so supportive of me. The way you spoke up for me yesterday. It…" That was it. Jo couldn't take anymore. Between his standing up for Lacey and taking the blame for her, then bringing up her almost admission of her feelings she had enough. "I am so sick of your excuses. You lie then apologize. Then lie then apologize. I'm over it, Danny." Tess can see her daughter is very angry. She feels like she needs to do something before Jo says something she will regret later. "Alright. Let's all just take a breath here." Jo is done with all of this. Done with them. "My emotions are fine. I just want these two to leave." She crosses her arms over her chest. "We are so sorry. We never wanted you to find out this way. Just know I did everything in my power to keep that video from coming out. The minute Rico told me…" Jo quickly turns to Rico. "You knew about that video?" Rico awkwardly walks closer to Jo. Up until then he had been trying to blend into the background. "I was just trying to protect you." That was it. Something in Jo just snapped. "I'm so sick of being protected. Just get out. Just get out all of you." She then turns and heads up stairs to the safety of her room.

When Jo got back to her room she throws herself onto her bed. She lays there thinking. '_Did Lacey really think the video is the reason I'm upset? It was the knowledge of their relationship that hurts the most. Having feelings for Danny it hurt that he was with someone else. It hurts he was with Lacey. Why her? Why not me?'_ Jo lays there and thinks about these things for a long time. Before she knew it, it was dark outside and her Mother was calling her to come downstairs.

Later that night Jo is walking home from Tyler's house thinking about the kiss she just shared with him. It felt so wrong. She knows that there is nothing but friendship between her and Danny, but it still felt like she was betraying him. Maybe it was that she was betraying her feelings for him. The curly haired girl feels so uncertain about everything. She wonders if there is anyway Danny could ever feel something for her more than friendship. Could he ever love her the way she loves him? Jo suddenly stops walking and takes out her phone to send a quick text message. Then she turns and starts walking in a different direction.

Jo is standing next to some trees staring out at the water. Even though this was a place Jo always thought of as peaceful she was anything but peaceful right now. The poor girl is full of nervous energy. She isn't exactly sure what she was doing, but she does know it's something she has to do for her own peace of mind. She hears the crunch of dead leaves. Looking up she sees Danny walking towards her. "I've got to say out of all the people to text me…" Danny starts. "I have to tell you something." She isn't in the mood for jokes or small talk and Danny can tell. "Okay. What is it?" Jo takes a deep breath. She decides to just say it. She isn't going to beat around the bush with this. "When I saw that video it hurt. And not just because you lied again. But because I have these feelings for you." Danny really doesn't want to hear about how hurt she is. It hurts him to know he did this to her. "Jo, look we don't have to do this." Jo shook her head. She can't turn back now. This has to be done. "I have to. I have to say it to your face. I can't move on unless I know… I know for sure you could never feel the same way." She really needs to hear it from him. She tried to move on tonight, but couldn't. There was a nice, funny, and cute boy who wants her and she couldn't do it. "Jo you are the most incredible person I have ever met." Jo rolls her eyes. "Please don't patronize me." Danny shakes his head. "I'm not. Our friendship means so much to me. I don't want to risk that turning it into something else." He is so scared of losing her. He really has been giving this topic lot of thought after her speech. Especially after the kiss he gave her in the hall. He thought a lot about that kiss. It confused him more than anything in his life. "But you can risk it for Lacey." She wonders what Lacey has that she doesn't have. What makes her worth the risk? "That's different." He's not sure he can explain it to her. Explain how special there friendship really is, and how he could never have that with Lacey. "Do you still have feelings for her?" Of course he still has feelings for Lacey. He is still hurting from their relationship and then the break up. Lacey was his first girlfriend. She will always mean a lot to him. "Lacey and I… Look we're over." This is very painful for him to say. He knows it is for the best that they are over. No more lying and hiding their relationship. It hurt to be her dirty little secret. He also knows he hurt her by lying about the necklace. "That's not what I asked. Do you still have feelings for her? Don't lie to me. For once just the truth." He knew the truth would hurt her. He doesn't want to hurt her anymore. Danny nods slightly. "I'm so sorry, Jo. We're going to get through this. The three of us, okay? That's what's most important, right? Right?" Jo is sad, hurt, and disappointed. She knows that it's really immature, but she can't do this anymore. She doesn't think she can still be friends with him right now. Not until her feeling for him change. "Good bye, Danny." She leaves him standing all alone. Danny feels like the world is caving in around him. He has never been this sad in his life. A world without Jo in it was so painful he isn't sure he could do it again. He knows she will always be more than just a best friend, but he doesn't know what. Losing Jo shouldn't hurt this much. Danny decides to head home.

**An: Thank you for reading. Please only nice reviews. If you are a Dacey shipper, why did you read this? No cursing in your reviews.**


	3. Dead men tell big tales a kiss

**An: I changed a lot of the episode. I never liked how Jo turned her back on Danny when he came to her room. I got carried away and did some for episode 13 as well. I will finished 13 in the next chapter. Please only nice reviews. As Mother used to say 'If you having nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all'.**

Lacey just left, and Jo was making her way up the stairs. She is thinking about what Lacey said about her still being mad. Of course she was still mad. It just happened yesterday. This is just another thing Jo didn't want to have to deal with. She is already berating herself over what she did with Tyler. She feels so stupid and ashamed. She walks into her dark bedroom. Just as she is about turn on a light she sees movement. "Jo, don't freak out." Danny says as he steps out of the shadows. "Oh my God, Danny. What are you doing here?" Jo asks as she is trying to catch her breath. He scared her half to death. He shouldn't be here. "I need to see you. I heard some things…" "No. No. This is the last place you should have come." Danny knows coming here was taking a big risk, but he had to see Jo. Even though he knows she is mad at him she is the person he trusts the most. "I know I hurt you. And it wasn't the first time, but Jo I'm being framed." She just has to listen to him. He doesn't know where else he can go with this information. "Then just give yourself up. Don't run." It's better for him not to run. She is concerned for his safety. What if a cop saw him and thought he was dangerous. He might get shot. "I can't. I can't. Not yet." He needs to figure all of this out. There is someone framing him. If he turns himself in he will not be able to find the person. "They have a murder weapon. They have your prints. This is serious Danny." She doesn't know if he understands how much trouble he is in. "It's fake." He says a little loudly. He corrects his volume. "It's fake. It has to be fake. I just need a little more time to figure this out." He needs her help. "You can't be here. It's too dangerous. They will look for you here. My Mom is just downstairs." She tries to reason with him. "I don't think you understand. I heard your Dad and my Mom talking. The women who found the weapon is connected to my Father." He tries to tell her everything he just found out. "My Mom could come up here any minute. You have to leave now." She starts to push him a little towards the window. "Jo, you're not listening. They think my Father is alive." Jo is about to speak when she hears her Mother calling her. Danny looks panicked. "You have to go now. I will give you a head start, but I have to tell her you were here." Danny rushes towards to window. He quickly slips out.

The next day Jo saw Lacey in the hallway and decided to tell her about Danny's visit the night before. Lacey seemed a little hurt that Danny didn't come to her. Even though it was immature Jo did feels a little satisfaction that Danny chose her over Lacey. Lacey was upset with Jo for sending him away, but Jo knew she had done the right thing for Danny. After school Jo went to the diner looking for Rico and found Lacey acting very weird. She decided to follow her. She followed her all the way to Rico's house. Jo had a feeling about what she would find when she opened the door. Or should she say whom. She was right. Danny had come to Rico after he left her house asking for a place to stay. Danny once again told Jo and Lacey his theory on who was framing him. Jo was in shock. Danny just told her and Lacey that he didn't kill his aunt. He thinks his Father is framing him again for Regina's murder. She doesn't really know what to think. Lacey decides to go downstairs and help Rico distract the police. She instructed Jo to help Danny escape. "You need to go downstairs and turn yourself in right now." It was the best thing to do. Her Dad can help him find his Father and make this right. "I can't." He refused. "Danny, my Dad will believe you." She knows he will. All Danny has to do is tell him what he just told her. Her Dad already suspects Vikram is involved somehow. "He might, but other people are going to need proof. I need to find him." Danny knows finding his Father was the only way he can prove his innocents. He is the only other witness to what happened to his aunt. No one will believe him unless his Father tells the truth. "How is that even possible?" He has done a very good job of convincing people he is dead. She is sure he will not be that easy to find. A man who fakes his death she is sure has a very good reason to not want to be found. "I have an idea, but I need your help." Danny explains to her his plan of going to Marianne Ross to ask her for to contact his Father. "This is insane Danny. What if she just arrests you instead? You can't trust this woman to help you. What is she is helping your Father frame you. It's in her best interest to get you out of the way." Jo is scared. The plan is so risky, and she doesn't want him to get hurt. "You just have to trust me. I know my Father. He will come." Danny brushes some hair away from Jo's face. He leaves his hand on her cheek. "Do you trust me?" He asks staring deep into her eyes. Jo nods slowly not trusting her voice to work at that moment. "Then please just do what I ask." Jo nods again. She starts to walk toward the door, but stops. She turns around and takes Danny into her arms. "Please be careful." She pulls away far enough to look up at his face. "You are kind of hard to replace." Danny smiles his first genuine smile in days.

It was dark and Jo had been scared, but she had kept going. She needed to be with Danny. She didn't trust that woman. So, she decided to go to where Danny said he was meeting his Dad. She wanted to be there if Marianne Ross decided to call the police. If that happened there really wasn't much Jo could do to help Danny, but at least she would be there for him. Vikram had showed up like Danny said he would. She didn't expect to be so scared of him, but something was different about him. He wasn't anything like the nice man she had grown up with. She made the mistake of trying to call for help when he saw her. Danny yelled for her run. And she did. She ran and she ran. She could hear him behind her. He was catching up. She had never been so scared in her life. Before long she had come to the end of the cliff. Vikram had caught up to her. She doesn't know what he would have done if Danny hadn't come to her rescue. Vikram attacked Danny and threw him so hard Danny's feet went over his head into a full roll. Danny hit him with the stick to defend himself, and that's when Vikram went over the edge of the cliff. "Oh my God, Danny. He's…" Jo sputtered. "I know." Danny said he was just as stunned as Jo. "He's… oh God." Jo couldn't get her thoughts together she was in so much shock. She couldn't comprehend what just happened. Danny starts to come to his senses a little. "Hey, look at me. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Danny asks trying to look her over. He didn't see any wounds, but that didn't mean she isn't hurt. He doesn't know what he'll do if she got hurt because of him. "This isn't happening." She couldn't believe it actually happened. He was actually dead. This isn't some kind of sick dream. "He was going to hurt you, okay?" He tries to explain his actions. Jo knows he didn't so it on purpose. "It's okay. I can't believe this. He's actually…" "He's dead." Danny finished for her. It all starts to sink in. Danny realizes what he just did, and he starts to freak out. "Danny. Danny!" Jo tries to get his attention. She sees him starting to spiral and she can't let him do this to himself. "I killed him. I killed my own Father." Jo took him into her arms. "It's okay. It's okay. You didn't mean to. It was an accident. It's all going to be okay." Jo starts to help him get up. "Come on let's go." She leads him back to the old church.

Danny and Jo are sitting on a pew in the old abandoned church. "We should go get help." Jo says breaking the silence. "No one can help us." Danny said with despair in his voice. "My Dad can. The police." "The police are already hunting me for one murder. They will never believe me." Danny points out. Jo turns to Danny try desperately trying to find a solution to their problem. "I can explain. I can say it was an accident and that your Dad was out of his mind. And you were trying to save me." Danny looks up, but won't look at Jo. He's not sure he can. "And who's going to believe you. Especially now that the whole town knows you have…" "Feelings for you." Jo finishes for him. She knew he didn't say it to hurt her, but it is true. "There is only one thing I can do." She knew exactly what he is talking about. "No." She won't let him leave. He can't leave her. Not now. Not after what just happened. He can't leave her to deal with it on her own. "I have to leave Green Grove for good." He doesn't want to. The thought of leaving Jo behind kills him. And leaving his Mother and Lacey would be hard to. "There has to be other options." Jo is racking her brain to try to think of something. "There's not. I can't have this ruin your life too." Didn't he understand his leaving would ruin her life more than anything else? She lost him once and she didn't want to lose him again. "Don't worry about me." Danny looks at her. Didn't she understand he will never stop worrying about her? She means everything to him. Jo is the most important person in his life. He already told her that once. "Of course I'm worried about you Jo. There's no other choice." It breaks her heart at the thought of him leaving her, but maybe he was right. "I can't keep this from my parents. I'm sorry Danny. I have to tell them. I have to." She told her parents everything. She never kept secrets from them. The blonde girl knew she would need help getting over this, and needed her parents support. "I can't go back to jail. Jo, I can't go back there." He panics at just the thought of going back to jail. "Okay, um. I can give you a head start. I'll go home and pack a bag with food and clothes and money and whatever else you need." Danny is touched that she is looking out for him like this. Knowing Jo will always be there for him will help him get through this. No matter how much he screws up she is still there for him. "You don't have to." Jo needs to feel like she is helping him in some way. She feels so helpless right now. "Yeah I do. I have to. So I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. You'll still be here right? Say you will still be here." She is now looking deep in his eyes pleading with him to stay to say good bye. "I'll still be here." He takes Jo into his arms and holds on tight. She doesn't mind how tightly he is holding her. Jo needs it just as much as he does. Tonight her world feels like it is spinning out of control. Danny is her anchor. She feels tears start to fall from her eyes. The thought of Danny leaving is breaking her heart. Danny hears her sniffle. He pulls back far enough to see her face. She looks up at him with those sad eyes again. Just like she did in the hallway. He knows those tears are for him. Danny is suddenly overwhelmed with grief over leaving her as well. He isn't sure why, but he is suddenly drawn to her lips. He let's go of her and grabs her by the face and pulls her lips towards his. Once their lips touch Danny feels relief and a passion he wasn't expecting. Jo is shocked. She doesn't know what to do at first, but it doesn't take long before she is kissing him back. They part at the same time you catch their breath. Both of their chest are moving up and down very fast as they are both gasping for air. They are looking into each other's eyes. Both looking for answers. They both have the same question where did that come from? Neither one of them know what to say. Jo doesn't want to talk about it. She is afraid he will say it was a mistake. She just couldn't hear that. So, she gets up from the pew. Dislodging herself from his grip she starts backing up towards the door. "I'll be back in the morning with all the stuff. And you better be here. Good night." With that she is out the door. Leaving Danny alone and confused.

Danny tried to sleep at first, but his mind wouldn't shut off. All he could think about is what he would be leaving behind if he left. There was a time in his life if you told him he would never see his Mother again he wouldn't be devastated about it. But since he has gotten back they have gotten closer than they were when he was younger. She is really trying to be a good Mother, and he has recently realized he needs a Mother. And Lacey. Things aren't very good between them right now, but they are getting better. He would miss her so much if he left. Jo. He has never been so confused before. He doesn't know what happened tonight between them. That was the second time he had kissed her, but the two kisses were nothing alike. Does he have feelings for Jo? He knows he cares about her a lot, and would do anything for her. She is the most important person in his life. That's why he didn't want to risk losing her if they dated. Does he want to date her? The idea doesn't sound as risky as it used to. But what about his feelings for Lacey? Could he have feelings for both of his best friends? It hurts that Lacey didn't trust him and that she broke up with him. It also hurt to be her dirty little secret. It didn't help his self-esteem. His feelings for Lacey aren't as intense as they used to be. His heart doesn't beat a mile a minute when he thinks of her anymore, and it does when he thinks of his kiss with Jo. His thoughts drift back to Jo. They have a bond that he has never had with anyone else. Sometimes when she looks in his eyes he feels like she can see into his soul. He doesn't know what is going to happen with Jo, but he knows he won't ever find out if he leaves. Danny knows leaving isn't the answer anymore. He can't leave everybody he cares about behind. He spent the last five years without them and he doesn't want to do that again. He has to stay and face the consequences whatever they turn out to be.

Jo couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Vikram Desai falling to his death. She was afraid to close her eyes. She tried to take her mind of it. Jo thought about Danny leaving. Tears started to well up in her eyes. The last five years without him have been so painful that she isn't sure she could go through that again. And running would just make him look guilty. He didn't do anything wrong. They both would have died if Danny hadn't hit Vikram with that stick. She saw the crazed look in Vikram's eyes. He wanted them both dead. Jo shivers as she thinks about that moment when he grabbed her at the edge of the cliff. The blonde girl shakes her head to get rid of the thought. She then thinks about the one good thing that did happen that night. The kiss. She doesn't know what it means or why he kissed her, but it was a kiss she will never forget. She plays if over in her mind. The way he grabbed her and the way his lips felt against hers. As much as she wants to believe he has feelings for her she knows better. He said he didn't feel that way about her. He still has feelings for Lacey. It must have been because he needed comfort after a traumatic event. You see that kind of stuff in movies all the time. Her thoughts again go back to his leaving for good. She couldn't let that happen. She would just have to talk him out of it. Jo closes her eyes and tries to put everything out of her mind so she could get some sleep.


	4. A kiss 4

**An/ This is very short. I wrote it before we found out Twisted was cancelled. My heart is to broken right now to write anymore. Review and let me know if you want me to continue. If I don't get any reviews I won't continue with the story.**

Jo woke up really early the next morning. She snuck out of the house before her parents were even awake. Walking into the church she was a bundle of nerves. Jo still hasn't thought of a way to convince Danny he needs to stay. And that kiss is still in the back of her mind. Jo looks around and doesn't see Danny. She worries that he didn't keep his promise and left without saying good bye. "Danny! Danny it's me. Danny I…" She hears a door creek open. She looks over and sees Danny walking in. Sighing in relief she continues. "Hey, I was worried you had already…" "I'm not going to run. I thought about it all night and I can't leave. How could I not see my Mother again or Lacey or you." He steps closer into Jo's personal space. Jo clears her throat feeling a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, I kinda realized the same thing. Fleeing is not the best plan." Danny gets that playful smile Jo has always loved on his face. "Plus I don't think your clothes would fit me." Jo smiles a little. "Okay, so if you're not running…" "I'm going back. Right now. And I'm telling the truth. All of it." Jo is relieved to hear that. She truly believes it's the best thing to do. "Okay, I'll be with you the whole time. We'll tell the police together." She has got his back. She will make sure they know it was an accident. "We're not telling the police." Jo is confused. He just he was going to tell the truth. "We are telling the one person who might be able to help us. Your Dad. Whatever the consequences." He is right her Dad will be able to help them. Jo looks up and sees Danny staring at her. He is still standing really close. Her stomach does a major flip flop. "Jo…" He starts. Jo quickly cuts him off. "We better get going. My Dad should be up and at work by now." She turns and heads for the door. Danny follows dutiful behind her.

They are both pushing branches out of their faces as they trudge through woods back towards Jo's house. "What are you thinking?" Jo breaks the silence. Danny looks back slightly, but keeps walking. "Everyone has been treating me like a killer for so long…" "It was an accident." She interrupts him. "I still did it." Jo hates to see him do this to himself. She wishes she could fix it for him. "In self-defense. He was going to hurt you. He was going to hurt both of us." She reminded him. Danny stops and turns to Jo. "And I wanted to hurt him too. I was so angry. And a part of me… a part of me at that moment just wanted him to die." He confesses to her. He hopes that she will not think less of him. It would kill him if she did, but he had to confess what he was feeling to someone. And Jo is the only person he could trust enough to confide in. "Well, I don't blame you." Danny takes Jo's hand in his and gives it a quick squeeze in thanks. "Well I guess we'll find out if other people feel the same way." Jo squeezes back. "They will. They have to. The things he did to you Danny…" She says as they start walking again. "I wonder if anything was real with him. You know like maybe he never loved me." Jo's heart breaks for him. "Maybe he wasn't capable of loving anyone. Sociopaths don't care about other people. Remember?" She wants to help him so bad, but is unsure of what she can say to make it better. "I guess I'll just never know. I'll never know why he killed Tara." Jo doesn't want him to keep beating himself up. She knows it will take a while before he can let go. She can't imagine what it feels like to have someone you love and admire betray you like that. All she knows is that is she will be there for him no matter what. "We know you didn't that's all that matters. Don't waste your time on questions you'll never be able to answer. It's not worth it. He's not worth it." Danny stops again and turns to look at her. He really appreciated her saying that. He doesn't think there is anything anyone can say to make him feel better, but at least she is trying. Jo has such a good heart and is a great friend. He doesn't know what he would do without her. Danny looks at Jo and he gets that same feeling he got before he kissed her last night. He reaches up and plays with a loose curl hanging down around her face. "Thanks." Jo is finding it hard to breath. It's like the air suddenly has gotten thicker. Danny leans in and captures her lips just as he did the night before. At first Jo relaxes into the kiss, but then she comes back to her senses. Their lips break apart as Jo pulls back quickly. Danny looks a little out of it. "You can't keep doing that." Jo says in a breathless rush of words. "Why?" Danny says as he becomes a little more focused on the situation. "Because you are only doing it to seek comfort after a traumatic event. And I'm not so sad, pathetic, and desperate enough to let you use me like that." Jo turns and starts walking again. Danny is left looking very confused. He rushes off to catch up to her. He doesn't think that is what he is doing, but he thinks it would be better to be sure before he brings the subject up again.


End file.
